Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-08-25
SET IN DIAMONDS.
BY Charlotte n. Braeme
CHAPTER XXXIII-CoxrINUED.

dark eyes filling with tears. mo one
would ever say much to me about 1t
She was kiiled-my beautiful mother
in an accident which happened some
eighteen years ago in Estham Tunnel
ID d you never hear of it,"
ayes, | remember of reading of sucl
an accident" was the reply; but the
lips that uttered the words seemed sud
denly TO have changed to stone.
My mother was going 10 Lo1don,"
continued the duchess; "my father says
that she was only going for few hours
on some shopping business, and she
was killed in that horrible fashion"
She did not know why rapture o
light spread over the beautiful, war
face: why the white hands were foldeC
as though she were praying. Her hear
gave one great leap of gratitude; she
could have cried aloud in an ecstacy o
delight. They had spared her in death,
they had said no word of why she wa'
going, of what had happened. She wa
as innocent as an angel in her daughter
eyes. No matter what she suffered now;
no matter what happened; her sacrifice
had not been in vain.
Her daughter believed her, he
daughter knew nothing of that story o
passion, and sorrow, and. shame.
II was quite little child then,
continued the duchess, mot one year
old, SO that l do not remember my
mother. / would give all that | have
to be able to dream of her."
Mrs. Grey said nothing, but her face
was full of sympathy. The girl Wen
on:
81 have missed my mother; l have
missed her all my life"
"You love her memory" she forced
herself TO say.
"Yes, with all my heart" said tn,
duchess, las should have loved herself
had she been living"
After that the duchess often spoke tC
Mrs. Grey of this beautiful mother
who had died young. 1t was not thai
Mrs. Grey said much, but there was {
sweet subtle sympathy in her manner
that went for more. She told her how
her fathers life had been completely
shadOwed by the loss of her mother
Mrs. Grey looked up in wonder.
"Your iather's llfe," she said.
The duchess smiled.
III speak as though everyone mus
know my father" she said. HE i
Lord st lir OF Oakclihe, and my dea
mother was Lady Stair"
For one moment the listener wa
back in the darkness and horrors of tn,
tunnel, and she heard the voices of tn,
men crying out: "Lady Stair is dead!'
And the name as the beautiful younl
duchess uttered it pierced her hear
with sharpest pain-a sense OF unreal
l.. oh al hi
be the woman who was once Ladl
Stair? And again her ears were fillet
with cries of Lady Stair is dead-Lady
Stair is dead!"
"Why, Mrs. Grey, you are crying 70
my troubles" said the duchess, sudden
H, ''your face is wet with tears"
And she recovered herself, to find he
teors falling like rain.
II must not talk to you about mourn
full things" said the duchess; "but
eases ones heart to speak of trouble
at time ~
II did not even know that 1 wa
shedding tears" said Mrs. Grey; "m
thoughts had wandered back for on
moment 10 trouble of my own. an
most honored by your confidence i
me-"
II was saying that the loss of m
mother completely shadowed III
fathers life; he has never been til
same man since"
Was she pleased or sorry? Did
comfort her to know that he had fe
such bitter grief and pain for her loss
Did it comfort or gricve her most?
hundred eager questions rose to he
lips. She longed to know how he ha
grieved-how he had lived; but sh
dared not trust herself TO utter on
word. 1t was about a week after thi
that the duke and duchess called.
HIS wife spoke so often of the tenan
OF No. 8 Lime Terrace that the duk
grew equally interested and anxious
lie wondered what kind ola woman /
could be who could so completed
charm his wife, for charmed she wal
he resolved to see and Judge for hin
self. When the interview was ende,
he owned that he was completely
the wrong.
"A saint rather than an adventures,
"The words that you used, Ethel, al
the only words that describe her, sh
Is like a queen in exile. wonder wha
her story is?"
"You are willing now that / shoul
visit herr" asked the duchess, anxious
ly.
"Quite willing: as often and as Ion
as you like; do all you can to add
her happiness" for which kindly wore
the Duchess of Meath kissed her hui
band.
The duke had been delighted an
surprised with Mrs. Grey. In spite
his wife's raptures he had not expecte
anything that was much above I'll
commonplace, but he was astonished 6
her beauty, her grace, her good-bree,
ing; he had decided quickly that ther
could not be anything wrong, it W:
impossible.
SO that few days passed now witt
out the duchess calling on Mrs. Gre
and Mrs. Grey no longer sat at I'll
window watching with yearning ey
for the carriage to pass; she could 8,
her daughter without that now.
But there were times when she stoo
by the same window, looking over I'll
trees, as she asked herself the questio
.Haye J done well? | have had M
hearts desire, but am | safe?"
And the answer to that question w
coming rapidly-the most curio
answer-one that she had never dream
I'd OF: coming as surely as sun sets, an
If she had known 1t. Marguerite la,
Stair, who called herself Mrs. Gre
would have died of the knowledge.